Recently, computer-based educational systems and video conferencing systems have attracted attention.
Such a system is composed of a display device utilizing a television set or the like, a miniature camera, a microphone, a communication device for sending and receiving image data and audio data, etc.
In this case, the miniature camera is placed on a housing of the display device or beside the display device, so as to situate relatively near the line of sight. An image of a user is taken by the miniature camera and, through a communication line, displayed on the screen of the display device of the receiver's system.
For some current notebook PCs and mobile PCs which can establish two-way communication through an Internet connection, a miniature camera is built in the frame of the display screen in an attempt to bring the camera still closer to the user's line of sight.
Nevertheless, a user usually participates in a conversation or enters required information while watching information shown on the display device (in the case of educational systems, information such as questions and answers, an image of the other side, and so on). Accordingly, although the miniature camera is located closer to the display screen of the display device, the user's line of sight is somewhat off from the natural line of sight when seen on the receiver's display device.
The present invention has been made to solve this problem. A primary object of the invention is to provide a stationary camera device which is capable of matching the user's line of sight into the display screen with his line of sight into the camera, or capable of bringing these lines of sight as close as possible, allowing a miniature camera to locate at an optional position over the display screen. A secondary object of the present invention is to provide a stationary camera device which is capable of matching the user's line of sight into the display screen with his line of sight into the camera, or capable of bringing these lines of sight as close as possible, without locating a miniature camera at an optional position over the display screen.